Preparing toddler for birth of sibling

My son, and currently only child will be 22 months by the time his baby brother or sister arrives in September and I'm wondering about how to prepare him.

Anyone have any tips based on kids with a similar age gap? Anything I've found while Googling seems geared towards slightly older toddlers whose level of understanding would be a bit more advanced - 'get them a present from the new baby' etc. Which I see no harm in trying too but just curious as to what others have done.

My daughter will be 16 months so I’m not sure how much she will understand but I’ve been showing her my stomach and talking about the baby a lot. We’ve also got her a doll which I’ve been cuddling and feeding, she seems quite taken with it and we can practice gentle etc. I’m also putting the babies stuff out at 35 weeks so she is used to it in the house and can have her time climbing all over it.

Not sure if any of this will help but I’m trying to make sure not much changes. Plus I’m being careful with visitors and won’t be opening gifts in front of my daughter because I know she will get excited and think they are for her xx

My son will be 20 months when this baby arrives. We have been talking to him about his baby sister and he can point that she's in mummys tummy. I've involved him when I've been picking things up for her, saying shall we get this for your baby sister. I know he doesn't really get it but am hoping that this is laying the groundwork. He's also got a little doll which he cuddles and let's us cuddle (before chucking it on the floor 😂😂. We also go to a playgroup and I have been letting him look at the babies, he's very interested and knows he needs to be gentle around them...at the moment he seems to adore babies.

My plans for introducing them is to let him meet the baby before anyone else...Will get daddy to pick him up from his grandparents and bring him to meet her (hopefully at home if it's an uncomplicated birth and quick discharge). We are getting him gifts from the baby but gifts that will be useful, a couple of colouring books, crayons and stickers that we can get out when baby needs feeding (more important when my partner goes back to work). My main plan is to try to involve him as much as possible so that he doesn't feel pushed out x

It really depends on your los level of understanding. My 22 month old is totally clueless bless her even though she will point to my tummy and say baby but she will also do this to anyone else's tummy haha. My other dd (dear daughter) however was only 18 months when dd2 arrived and had a really good understanding we brought a book called I'm gonna be a big sister and talked to her a lot and she was so good when the baby came x

Thanks all, some great practical advice here - especially putting the new baby's stuff out in advance so he's used to it, I hadn't thought of that.

We do talk about baby to DS (dear son) and show him my bump etc although he doesn't really understand it all at the moment - not that I would expect him to at 20 months. When I point at my bump and say things like "there's a baby in mammy's tummy" he just looks down at his own belly and prods it 😂

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